...10, 2015 American Family Values In the article, “Family Values,” Richard Rodriguez states his view on the positive affect of homosexuality on family values in America. He questions the values that the media and politicians claim Americans hold and intrigues the reader to decide whether the United States values the family at all. With the traditional family dynamic changing every day, so does the perspective of right and wrong. The media, however, is quick to defend the sanctity of the stereotypical family and chastises anything that contradicts that ideal. The things one values changes with age and are shaped through personal experience and relationships made throughout life. This individual moral development should be promoted instead of criticized. This country was founded on the idea of individual rights. However, America is always forcing it’s ideals on others. The United States would be a more unified and progressive place if its citizens embraced the idea of tolerance and valued the diversity that make the people of this country great instead of demonizing what doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of the American family. The United States is seen as the “Land of Opportunity.” People have come from all over the world to give their family a chance at the American Dream. This nation was created by people who believed in the idea of a better life for their children. But what is the American Dream and why was this ideal appealing? In traditional America, a successful life...
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...Delinquency in America: 1 A Search to Find Solutions to Delinquency in America Richard Micheal Stanford Criminal Justice 230 Delinquency in America: 2 Introduction A Search to Find Solutions to Delinquency in America In this paper, some of the factors that go into some of the things that happen in the lives of youth today will be examined. It will also look at what impact family and community have on youth and the morals of society. Together we can find possible solutions to drastically reduce delilnquency. Delinquency in America: 3 Family Structure, Life, and Involvement There is a rise in delinquency and a blatant lack of respect from the youth of today. This increase has been caused by a significant shift in the family dynamic since the 1950’s and 1960’s, today’s constantly changing society, the devaluation of morals in society, and desensitization caused by media and entertainment. As sad as it may be, this is the way things are today. When one thinks of the traditional American family they picture something like the Cleavers from Leave it to Beaver or the Cunninghams from Happy Days. The father would go to work all day and come home to dinner on the table. The mother would do her own equally important work keeping the household together daily. Children even had their duties; they would go to school, play some kind of sport, play in the neighborhood until dinner and just be kids. Let’s look at the role the father played fifty to sixty years ago. For the...
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...Mise 1 An Epidemic of Single Household and Blended Families As she prepares for yet another math exam within a 2 week period, she can’t help but to think about the problem facing her at home instead of math. The thought of failing the exam is the least bit of her worries because she’s constantly thinking about how she feels like a stranger in her new home. Since her transfer from California to New York, her life for her and her 10 year old brother has been like a rollercoaster. Their lives have changed drastically in the last four months with trying to adjust to a new state, home and school. She has to cope with her feelings of abandonment, frustration and state of despair. How will she adapt to this sudden change in her life? This is just one of a many instances of how divorce’s and blended families affect our children and will affect the next generation. One of the many problems facing America appears to be either the absence of one parent or blending into another family through adoptions, foster care, and gay relationships. The traditional American family has declined over the years and the divorce rate continues to be on the rise. Why? There is a variety of reasons why married couple divorce. Some due to financial matters, infidelity, unrealistic expectations, lack of communications, mental and physical abuse. One out of two marriages end in divorce. Sixty percent of second marriages fail, according to the U S Census...
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...Divorce and the Destruction of the Family Ron Swanson Western Washington University The Destruction of the Family Throughout history, societies that valued traditional marriage and sexual abstinence were able to remain fundamentally strong and have flourished. Once a society decides to abandon these simple principles, destruction inevitably follows. J. Unwin (1934) wrote, “In human records, there is no instance of a society retaining its energy after a complete new generation has inherited a tradition which does not insist on prenuptial and postnuptial continence” (Unwin, 1934, p. 174). In today’s society, family and marriage are not defined by the traditional definition handed down through several millennia of history; rather the definition has been warped, and a new unstable version of the family has been accepted by our society. Traditional marriage is by its nature, the foundation of the family. The family is the building block of society, and marriage is the basis of the family. The devaluation of the conventional family, and more specifically, the destruction of traditional marriage by divorce, can have no other outcome but the destruction of our society. There are many reasons to evaluate why we have arrived at this state in our society: the growth of consumerism and commercialism, influence of Hollywood over our lives, the decline of religiosity in the United States, the decline of the social order and neighborhood relationships. All of these reasons are legitimate...
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...Single parenting in the 21st century is vastly different than it was in years past. Done away are the days of the traditional American family with two parents, two children, and a dog, as the only model of a family. The American dream has evolved. Now it is socially acceptable to choose to be a single parent. There are many circumstances that would lead to a decision by mothers and fathers to choose single-parenting as an option or a result. Various circumstances, such as adoption, divorce, death, and incarceration can result in becoming a single parent. Children growing up in single parent households can and have become responsible citizens in his or her adult lives. Today, society recognizes the reality, that single-parent family households is considered to be as normal as two-parent family households. With the prevalence of mixed families, single parents are on the rise, if not for a small period of time between marriages. When married couples decide to divorce, the newly single parent may start a new family; thus creating mixed or extended families. In addition, the divorce rates in the United States are over 50 percent, making it less likely for two parents to raise a child. Also, with the increase of affluence in the United States, prior to the economic bust, raising a child above the poverty level has become much more of a likelihood. A vast number of African Americans were left destitute and in poverty at initiation of the Vietnam War. As many African American...
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...The Challenges of Single Parent Families Student’s name Professor’s name Date The Challenges of Single Parent Families People have always had different perceptions on children brought up in a single parent family. Although deemed as impossible, single parenthood is increasingly becoming. Numerous children have grown successfully, exhibiting both emotional stability and mental strength irrespective of whether they were brought up by one or both parents. The thorny issue, however, is whether there are any differences between children raised by both a mother and a father and those raised by either of the parents. This brings to the fore debates as to whether a child needs both parents, the role of a man as a father figure, the role of step-parents and if the government renders any support to single parents. As the debate heats up, it may be noble to consider that raising children may be anchored on the values instilled in them and not the family structure (Jeynes, 2002) Proponents of a child having both parents benchmark their arguments on the potential behavioral and emotional gains that a child gets. What they fail to understand is that not all problems children have are directly linked to single parenthood. Robert L. Maginnis, in his article “Single-parent families cause juvenile crime”, asserts that “Children from single-parent families are more likely to have behavior problems because they tend to lack economic security and adequate time with parents”. This argument...
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...The percentage of poverty in America needs to be decreased. Forty-seven percent of Americans do not have access to at least four hundred dollars for an emergency or unexpected expense, and about half of them make under $15 dollars an hour (“The Universal Basic” 00:08:11-00:08:20). To fight the increasing poverty in America, the government should raise the federal minimum wage. Minimum wage is the amount of money an employer can legally pay an employee per hour. It makes sure workers are compensated fairly and protected from exploitation. Each state minimum varies in amount; however, the federal minimum currently sets at $7.25 per hour (Chang 12). Increasing the minimum wage would help workers and families without harming the business economy....
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...this problem which is fast becoming one of the largest problems facing urban America. It can lead to law-breaking juvenile, which often can lead to adult lives as career criminals. Over the years experts have given us many theories on the causes of juvenile delinquency, including one's economic background, parents level of education and abuse in the home, gangs organizations, repeated neighborhood delinquents, increased availability of weapons and new technology violent games have something to do with the growing of our young people getting in trouble and becoming part of the juvenile delinquent system. However in my opinion the number one cause of juvenile delinquency is the breakdown of families, including lack of parental control over their children. It is ironic in America, in todays age, a person must poses a driver's license to operate a vehicle, a permit to own a gun and even a license to have a pet, but one does not have to have proper training or a license in order to become a parent. Without specialized educational or programs in child development and parenting, many of our future parents will not have a chance at becoming successful parents and worse, many of todays parents are already contributing to the increasing problem of juvenile delinquency simply by not knowing how to raise their children. Being a parent is a major commitment that has a direct impact on us has a society new parents must learn parenting skills before having children, they will not get a second...
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...becoming very drastic. There are several reasons why this is happening and there is some research that will prove this point. The percentage of family household was 90 % back in 1940 and it went down to 66.4%. This is a big difference because that it was 9 out of 10 were family households and now it is 6 out of 10. Also, another percentage change that is very overwhelming is the married couple with children. Back in 1940 that percentage was 42.9% and it went down to 20.2%. All of the percentages based on the family households are going down except the single parent household....
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...Diminishing Morals Over the course of a decade, America has been overcome with changes. Changes that have impacted American society, economy, and culture.Traditional values are currently being replaced by modern day modifications revolving around the changing outlooks in American households. Values dating back to times of segregation have begun to change for the better, while values regarding marriage and family relationships have taken a turn for the worse. Respecting authority, having faith in God, and maintaining one marriage for life are no longer an importance to American citizens. This change in ethics across the nation cannot be summed up to one cause, rather as an effect of multiple causes that have caused society to transform. However, several causes stand out above all others as the most probable. Changing social behaviors, divorce rates, and technology have altered the average American’s values and outlook on the world. In the late 1950’s, CBS aired a sitcom called “Leave it to Beaver”. The show portrayed a typical American family: a married couple and their two biological children. This portrayal was pegged as the “nuclear family” (Stanley 2012). During the times of both world wars up until the 1980’s, blended families were not common. Once a couple married, they typically maintained their marriage for better or for worse. A couple’s family tree continued only after they had said their vows, when it was socially acceptable to reproduce. Most women in 1950 were...
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...and ways of life have changed drastically. In today society many can argue the importance of having father around to raise a child. It can also be argued that father or no father a child can grow up to just as healthy and able as a child raised with both parents. From personal experience the need of a father in a child growth is not crucial. Being a boy doesn’t mean that only a male can teach you to be a man. There are many aspects to child growth that anyone can provide whether it’s a mother and father, just a father or just a mother. I feel that child growth is more based on the personality and attitudes that that child is surrounded by. According to professor Natasha J. Cabrera and the EHS studies they suggest that a father who has a highs school degree or higher have their children performing better in development. this in my opinion isn’t accurate. The test conducted where only conducted on men who had high school degrees or higher. For this statement to have had hard standing there should have been a separate study in which they tested men who hadn’t completed high school (White, 2011). An education yes improves a parents’ knowledge of the world but I don’t feel it determines how good a parent a person will be. In America there are many immigrants from other countries...
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...Work and Change - The Family Sveinbjorg E. Olafsdottir Sociology-SSCI205 7th July, 2013 This essay will demonstrate the weakening of the modern family and how the weakening of the modern family is a cause for some of the social problems America and other western countries are facing today. What important or significant changes have been in families since 1960 and what factors are responsible for that change? Are families becoming weaker or simply different? And what can be done to straighten the modern family? Among the significant changes that have accrued in families since the 1960 are that there has been a dramatic rise in divorce rate and the ideal family structure has changed from the typical nuclear family. Families today can be combined of same sex parents, single parents, one parent and his/her partner where children have stepsiblings and children born out of wedlock. Since the 1960s women have become more financially independent and the society has become more inclusive. Women have their own career and therefore leave the home for work while in the 1960s women mostly stayed at home to take care of the children and the home. This change has caused more tension with in marriages and children get less time with a parent. (Editorial Board, 2012) Another factor for the change in families since the 1960 can be all the new technology, which brings more expenses for the families, and therefore to be able to afford everything that the modern family needs or is expected...
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...A Traditional Marriage Jason Lafrades University of Phoenix Business Communications and Critical Thinking 275 Kathy Rodriguez-Abbott July 25, 2013 A Traditional Marriage John R. Guardiano wrote an article in the American Spectator titled, “Why Gay ‘Marriage Equality’ Is Bad for America and Hurts Children.” In his article, he argues that gay marriage is not “traditional.” His idea of a traditional marriage is one between a man and woman, which he considers to be the foundation for a strong family. He calls a gay union a direct undermining of the sanctity of marriage. He argues that families with a mother and father will raise stronger children with less socioeconomic boundaries. He states that without a union between a man and woman, there is no chance for a “strong in-tact family.” Therefore, with the support of gay marriage he believes that children will be bombarded with drugs, crime, and poverty because of a missing “family” link. Guardiano also argues that “Fatherless children” are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, become incarcerated, and have reduced educational achievements. He says that gay marriage has a direct effect on this because it deprives a child of a father or mother. He concludes his article in stating that not all fatherless and motherless children are doomed to fail, but by further undermining marriage through “misplaced notions of equality” children are just one step further from becoming well-adjusted and successful into adulthood. (Guardiano...
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...Populations Homeless Persons Margaret A. Stewart BSHS 302 July 18, 2011 Karen Miner Abstract Most Americans have heard the term hobo, which is defined as a vagrant or transient among other definitions. The term is well known because a large number of Americans have been named such who lived on the streets, or “skid rows” of this country. Homeless individuals have existed throughout history; however, more recently, a larger number and many categories of homeless individuals occur. In this paper the subject to examine is the history of homeless persons in America, the nature of the social problems and issues experienced by the homeless, demography of the homeless, common clinical issues and intervention strategies, and a discussion of future interventions. Vulnerable Populations Homeless Persons Homelessness has been a phenomenon in America beginning in the late 1700s according to author Kenneth Kusmer. “Kusmer begins with an examination of homelessness from the late seventeenth century through the early nineteenth century. Although the number of homeless fluctuated somewhat in this period (rising in the late eighteenth century and in the 1820s), concern about the homeless was not widespread. The homeless were also largely an urban phenomenon; rural residents rarely encountered homeless persons. The Civil War introduced soldiers to railroad travel and to foraging, and after the war, some veterans continued to ride the...
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...machine that provides seven basic products: locating the absent parent, establishing paternity, establishing child support orders, reviewing and modifying orders, collecting and distributing support, promoting medical support, and enforcing child support across state lines. Each of these services deserves extensive discussion. Congress took additional action to improve paternity establishment in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. The Family Support Act require states to review guidelines at least once every four years and have procedures for review and adjustments of orders, consistent with a plan indicating how and when child support orders are to be reviewed and adjusted. On October 16, 1985, The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) published regulations amending previous regulations and implementing section sixteen of public law 98-378. The 1975 Child Support require states to cooperate with other states in establishing paternity, locating absent parents, and securing compliance with court orders. The Alabama Child Support Enforcement Program (ACSEP) is a federal state and local partnership designed to get your child the financial and medical support he or she deserves. The program can assist in paternity establishment, location of parent, obtaining an order for child support, enforcement and collection of support. The ACSEP goals are to ensure that children have the financial support of both parents, to foster responsible behavior towards children and to reduce...
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